Cape Town family exposes driving school that took their money: owner closes business and promises refunds
A Cape Town family has spoken out after paying for driving lessons that never took place, prompting the sudden closure of Aubrey’s Driving School after 25 years in business.
Amanda “Many” Martin said she booked 10 lessons for her 21-year-old son, Matthew, after spotting a promotion shared by a family member. “I recognised the name because I did my learner’s licence through Aubrey years ago. I am someone who always does my due diligence but I trusted the brand,” she said.
“He offered me a special rate that he said finished a month before I made contact, but if I made payment the same day I would fall in line with that offer, so I did. But after that, everything fell apart.”
According to Martin, the first two lessons were cancelled at the last minute.
When Matthew eventually had his first drive, it lasted less than half an hour before the instructor told him to turn back because the car had run out of petrol.
“It wasn’t even a proper lesson,” said Martin. “After that, nothing happened. They stopped answering calls and messages.”
Frustrated, Martin demanded a refund but received only vague promises. “Every time I called, I was told the office would get back to me. I kept waiting, but months went by. I just want my money back,” she said.
Following growing complaints, driving school owner Aubrey Richter confirmed to Weekend Argus that he had decided to shut down the business on Thursday morning, citing severe financial difficulties.
In a formal statement addressed to clients and residents of Cape Town, Richter announced:
“After 25 years of serving the people of this city with learners’ classes and driving lessons, it is with a very heavy heart that I announce the permanent closure of Aubrey’s Driving School, with immediate effect.”
He said a combination of factors had forced his hand including prolonged absences from the country, repeated vehicle breakdowns, and mounting maintenance costs.
“I received legal advice to place the business into liquidation because of these mounting pressures. Instead of immediately following that advice, I made the decision to remain open for as long as possible in an effort to honour existing bookings and accommodate our clients,” Richter said.
However, he admitted that this decision only deepened the financial strain and led to disappointed clients when the school could no longer deliver its usual standard of service.
“Contrary to the legal advice, we have decided not to follow the liquidation route because it would mean our clients would wait a very long time to be refunded. I am currently in the process of obtaining funding to refund all prepaid clients with outstanding lessons. All legitimate, verified refunds will be honoured no later than Saturday, 22 November 2025,” he said.
Richter also confirmed that Martin and her family were among those who would be refunded by that date.
However, Martin said this promise “remains to be seen”, as she claims Richter has been making repayment assurances for the past three months without following through. The couple even opened a case at the Lenteguer Police Station, where officers contacted Richter directly. “When police called him, he promised to pay us back by Friday, 7 November,” said Martin.
When contacted by Weekend Argus, Richter said he would refund the Martins by Thursday, 6 November the same day he announced the permanent closure of his business.
Adding to the controversy, many other clients have since taken to online review platforms to share similar complaints.
Aubrey’s Driving School has been flooded with one-star reviews describing cancelled lessons, unanswered messages, and unfulfilled refunds. Some of these complaints date back two to three weeks, while others stretch as far back as two months, four months, a year, and even nine years ago suggesting that the school’s problems may have been ongoing for years.
Richter has also admitted he had hoped to keep operating after expecting a cash injection “from someone that didn’t materialise”.
“To the clients who had a disappointing or frustrating experience in recent months, I offer my sincere and humble apology. We tried, but in some cases, we failed. For that, I take full responsibility,” he said.
For Martin and her family, the apology comes as little comfort. “I appreciate that he’s struggling,” she said. “But he shouldn’t have taken more bookings if he couldn’t deliver. We trusted him, and that trust was broken.”
Despite mounting public frustration, the Western Cape Department of Mobility confirmed that driving schools are not yet regulated by law.
“Currently, the registration of driving school instructors with a Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) is voluntary,” the Department said. “This means that while instructors can register, it is not yet a legal requirement for them to do so.”
The Department said that, at present, it does not have a regulatory mechanism to act against unregistered or dishonest driving school operators. However, affected clients may report such matters to the Office of the Consumer Protector for possible intervention via the provincial government website: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/edat/office-consumer-protector.
Officials urged the public to do thorough research before choosing a driving school or instructor including checking whether the instructor is registered at a DLTC, reading online reviews, and seeking recommendations from trusted sources.
“The regulation of driving schools and instructors will become compulsory once the National Road Traffic Amendment Act, and its associated regulations, are promulgated,” the Department added.
“Residents will be informed when these new provisions come into effect.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za